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And now she isn’t and we’re a bit blue because of it. Quick post today but let me say - having family who live across the United States - well, it stinks!! I wish I could move Florida right up alongside California. A happier world it’d be. At least for us.
Some silly/fun pics from our visit.
we love storytime in my house… 
all boy right there! he so makes me laugh.
my little hand and thumb suckers.
Please excuse the diary week of my kids…it’s been a big week and this is where my mind is at…
I make no bones about it - I love my kids. They are my one and only. I also make no bones about the fact that parenthood is hard. For all that love there is a whirlwind of other emotions they’re able to bring forth with geyser intensity. I feel like since I’ve been a mom I’ve gotten a 365 degree personality view of myself as I never had before and I’ll admit - parts of it make me cringe. And once in awhile parts of it make me saunter with pride. And then parts of it leave me floundering and feeling around for familiar footing. But such is parenthood - it continually brings forth situations and emotions that have yet to be defined.
Such as this week…and seeing my little girl off to her first day of first grade. And seeing her battle tears as I prepared to leave which beyond broke my heart. I worried about her all day (if you’re on FB you know this as it was the only thing I was capable of doing that day…suffice to say, not a lot of work got done between 8 and 2:40). But she came home full of smiles, talking about the three - yes, count them - three recesses they got, about the piece of candy they got and not a whole let else. It seems things like your teacher’s name, other kid’s names and what you learned pale in comparison to three recesses and a Hershey’s kiss. Hey, can’t say I blame her.
To make her first day completely fun and special, we did a girl’s afternoon after school which consisted of (okay, this might have been more for me than her) Starbucks and back to school shopping where we picked up some cute new dresses but mostly had fun talking clothes, things we would and would not wear and you know, just a general discussion of world politics and such. Total typical conversation.
look at that little eager face!
my powershot totally stinks sometimes - yo, can you say blowout? 
my baby at her desk!
SB here we come! total rockin buddy holly music going too which had us bopping in our seats…
So, tomorrow my little girl (my baby) starts first grade. The day hasn’t yet arrived and I have to admit, I’m a bit emotional about it. The funny thing is when she started kindergarten last year I fully expected to be sad and I wasn’t. In fact, I had some mom guilt over the fact that I was totally not emotional over it. I was happy for her - she was more than ready, made new friends and loved almost every minute of it. And I was (shhh… secretly), a little happy for me too - it meant 3 hours added to my day. In mom time that is like adding in two nannies, a house cleaner and and a scoop of chocolate ice cream (I don’t know, just throwing that in because it sounds good right now and I’m trying to ignore the seductive whisper beckoning from my freezer. Now, if my freezer really knew and loved me he’d leave a trail of mm’s to his door and have a cup of ice cream with mms sprinkled on top waiting for me. Obviously, this relationship has issues… which is probably a good thing. :))
Anyway! So. Tomorrow I kiss my baby goodbye as she begins a whole new adventure. And I will try not to cry…at least not while she’s watching.
A recent pic of my ‘baby’ taken during a quick session in the studio…
Today we mingled with sheep, petted chickens and cows, did a pony ride, a boat ride, an airplane ride and a ferris wheel. We downed corn dogs (well, not me - no thanks, no way ) and nachos chased by Frosty Freeze ice cream and topped off with cotton candy. We listened to folk music, tanned our shoulders, dirtied our feet and left chocolate ice cream stains on our (my kids) cheeks.
We walked away with three tired but happy children, a spiderman and a pink and purple pony balloon and a tired, but happy mom and grandma.
All in all, it was one fabulous day. That ended in the place of all places for me - my hometown, with my mom and her husband and my three monkies - who, despite being exhausted, rallied, played some more, collapsed on the couch and came home sleepy eyed and full of stories.
A fun day it was for the books (that is how the expression goes, yes? gesh…I need an expressions book… :))
some silly fun snapshots from our day…all pics taken with my powershot…this one is sooooo blurry but seriously, look at my twins -could they be any cuter?
Oma with the three monkies…
Things you’d rather not know…this is sweet Kody who is up for sale…and not to be someone’s pet either.
our first pony ride…ahhhhhhh
the cheapest entertainment the world ever saw - for .25 you too can entertain your kids…a foot massage machine, who knew?
tired babies…I love my mom’s couch…and her house - and her couch, did I mention her couch? (notice the Kings blanket…yes, we’re a family of Kings fans)
man, I miss the country…especially on nights like this, with sunsets like these…
I want to be a domestic goddess. Like my Momi who can whip up food too delectable for the palette in less than 10 minutes and call it throwing something together. And who’s decorating skills leave me wandering aimlessly around my own digs trying to telepathically have vision through her eyes and thinking I’d have a better chance of hitching a ride to the moon (because they play golf there now, you know {ESPN watchers} not that I play golf - I’d rather tie my ankles together and hobble my way through a marathon in 100 degree weather but I’m all for cheering on the sidelines. And who knows, maybe I’d run into Tiger and I could try to help him locate his swing which, at 18 over par, he seems to have misplaced…I’m so bad :)).
Back to the domestic goddess. She is a women to be reckoned with. She shops with a grocery list that doesn’t come from a cookbook. Her selection of ripe fruits and vegetables doesn’t come from the prettiest colors code (eggplant and apples make it into my house a lot) and cooking dinner isn’t a labor-intense hit or miss affair. It’s a hit. Every time. She is, after all - a domestic goddess.
So, tonight I tried my hand at being a domestic goddess. And a healthy one at that. I know, go me, right? Or…maybe…not. At least, not by my kid’s standards. My cheesy cauliflower got a “I am NOT eating that, I don’t like it!” (arms crossed, ball buster face) from my son before he’d even actually sat down in his chair. My spring veggie/potato something or other I-just-proudly-tossed-it-together mix got nixed by my five year old daughter before it’d even made it’s way into the oven, and the asparagus, well - let’s just be real, I didn’t even attempt that until - today (and I really like it…when it’s cooked smothered in olive oil and salt and pepper). So, my domestic goddess routine needs some work.
And maybe a Domestic Goddess 101 class.
My total miss meal.
and in case you’re not familiar with what a perturbed - I-will-not-eat-this face looks like…I thought I’d show you. I love my monkies even when my food is literally being dished back at me.
Zsa Zsa not shown here.
